Monday Musings - July 27, 2026

 1. Welcome to the last Monday of July. My favorite month is slipping away. The year is also slipping away as there are only 22 Mondays remaining. Better start that holiday planning!

Jeremy with the Balloon
Allure of the Seas, Atlantic Ocean
July 26, 2026

2. Because I am on a cruise and there is a lot to do, this will be an abbreviated Monday Musings.

Chris at the After-show Party
Allure of the Seas, Atlantic Ocean
July 26, 2026

3. Catching the Balloon. We were up late last evening with Jeremy and Julie. We enjoyed the musical Mama Mia! on the main stage and afterwards participated in one-hit wonders on the promenade deck. There was a balloon drop and Jeremy captured a balloon for Beck. Somehow, Chris and I wound up with the balloon in our stateroom to give to Beck. But since we were up after midnight, many weird things could happen.

4. Today in History. On July 27, 1974, the House Judiciary Committee recommends that America’s 37th president, Richard M. Nixon, be impeached and removed from office. The impeachment proceedings resulted from a series of political scandals involving the Nixon administration that came to be collectively known as Watergate.

The Watergate scandal first came to light following a break-in on June 17, 1972, at the Democratic Party’s national headquarters in the Watergate apartment-hotel complex in Washington, D.C. A group of men linked to the White House were later arrested and charged with the crime. Nixon denied any involvement with the break-in, but several of his staff members were eventually implicated in an illegal cover-up and forced to resign. Subsequent government investigations revealed “dirty tricks” political campaigning by the Committee to Re-Elect the President, along with a White House “enemies list.”

Iran says it still controls strait, not seeking talks, after Trump halts bombing - ReutersTrump economy at 18 months is a tale of shocks, resilience, and signs of stalled progress - ReutersUkraine wants prototype of European missile defence system by mid-2027 - Reuters

-- Bob Doan, Allure of the Seas, North Atlantic Ocean, near 212137N 0681113W